ray in eager, excited tones.

"I'm with you, Jerry," said the young Englishman, quickly, in answer to
something that Rodman had said; "where is he now?"

"In the cabin, getting some Bourbon for Mr. Brant's boat. There is only
the Dago steward with him, and if Porter and Tom Harrod will join us we
shall manage the thing right enough."

"What is the matter, Jerry--what are you talking about?" asked Ned from
where he lay.

"Keep still, Ned, and ask us nothing just now; there's a chance of our
getting clear of this floating hell. I needn't ask _you_ if you'll join
us. Come on, Wray."

The fourth mate and the Portuguese steward were in the main cabin
filling some bottles from a large jar of Bourbon whisky. Their backs
were turned to the door, and both were so intent upon their task that
they neither heard nor saw the four figures steal softly upon them.
Suddenly they were seized from behind by Wray and Gerald Rodman, and
then quickly gagged by Harrod and Porter before either had time to utter
a cry. In a few minutes the four men had armed themselves with cutlasses
from the rack around the mizzen-mast, which came through the cabin at
the for'ard end of the table, Rodman also taking the captain's and chief
mate's loaded revolvers out of their berths.

The fourth mate and steward were then carried into the captain's cabin,
and Gerald Rodman spoke:

"Newman," he said, "we are going to take charge of this ship for a
while. If you make an attempt to give an alarm you are a dead man. Wray,
stand here and run them both through if they make the ghost of a sound."

Again entering the captain's cabin, he returned with two or three
charts, a sextant and the ship's chronometer, which he placed on the
table just as a heavy footfall sounded on the companion steps. It was
the cooper.

"The boat is all ready, Newman," he said, as he entered the somewhat
darkened cabin; "who is going in her?"

"We are," said Rodman, dealing him a blow with the butt of his pistol
and felling him. "Leave him there, Wray--he'll give us no trouble.
Now take every one of those rifles out of the rack and put them on the
table. There's two kegs of powder and a bag of bullets in Mr. Brant's
cabin--get those as well."

This was quickly done, and, calling to the others to follow him, Rodman
sprang up the companion. No one but the man at the wheel was on the
poop, and the leader of the mutineers, looking over the rail, saw that
the boat was alongside with